


December Drabbles

by Anna Noëlle (AnnaNL9902), MrsNoraPalmer



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:22:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27817480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaNL9902/pseuds/Anna%20No%C3%ABlle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsNoraPalmer/pseuds/MrsNoraPalmer
Summary: Some short drabbles to help us get through December.The first half of December will be written by me. The second half of December is written by the lovely @MrsNoraPalmer.
Relationships: Nora Darhk & Ray Palmer, Nora Darhk/Ray Palmer
Kudos: 7





	1. Baby, it’s cold outside

“Honestly, why is it so cold now, like all the time?” Nora mumbles into the cold air. It was early morning, and the young mother was about to get her kids to school. 

The first thing she encountered was the cold while getting out of bed, Ray had had an early meeting, so he had left before she had woken up. 

Then there was the cold floor and the icy wind coming through the window. Ray and she always kept the window open, but the freezing wind did not help make her life easier at that moment. 

Next, there was getting the kids out of bed, they also had a difficult time getting out of bed. And honestly, who could blame them? It was way too cold to be outside, especially without some warm clothes. 

Nora had been preparing since fall, all the summer clothing had been packed into boxes and the winter clothing had been unpacked. By now you could see a trail of scarves, gloves, snow boots, and hats through their home. 

When finally all the kids wore appropriate clothing, they went outside to find another unpleasant surprise; everything was frozen. The floor was slippery, Nora swiftly took the hands of her youngest, who was about to run over the slippery ground to the car. 

“Be careful,” Nora warned her kids, “you cannot run right now, or you’ll fall.” The kids stopped and carefully continued their journey to the car. 

Once all the kids were safely seated in their chairs, Nora looked in the rearview mirror at her kids. They were the biggest gift she had ever gotten and she couldn’t be happier if she tried.


	2. The Birthday

Nora woke up from a faint sound. A soft singing sound. She opened her eyes and saw her husband slowly approaching her bed with a pie and a soft flickering candle.

“Happy seventeenth birthday, my love.”

Nora snorted. It was indeed her seventeenth birthday, at least, in the year 2020. It was still weird to imagine her seventeen-year-old self, walking around at the same moment. Time travel really messes your sense of time up. 

“Good morning,” Nora greeted her husband as she set up in the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

Ray smiled at his wife as he carefully sat down on the bed, still having the pie with the burning candle in his hand. “I would sing for you, but I’m not sure you’re ready for that so early in the morning.”

Nora nodded wearily. It was way too early to hear her husband, or anybody even, sing. 

“But blow your candle out, or we the candle wax will end up in our pie,” Ray joked.

Nora put her hair to the side and bent forward to blow the candle out. She removed the candle and grabbed one of the two forks Ray brought with him. She dipped her spoon in the pie and salvaged the sweet flavor. 

During the process, Ray looked at her in awe. She was amazing, still helping all the kids who need help, especially so close to the holidays. He admired how she seemed to make it that she could handle it with such grace. But even he knew that that was not always the case. She had to fight her battles just as much as he did, or anyone else did. Luckily, he would always be there to support her. Especially on her birthday, which he knew she never liked, to try to make some better birthday memories in the meantime.


	3. The Party

“But, Ray,” Nora stumbles, “where are we going?” She scratched her blindfold; it was itching and was very uncomfortable.

Ray grinned. “You’ll see soon, but right now, we are going to keep walking.”

Nora let a sigh escape her mouth. “You know I hate surprises, Ray.”

A small smile appeared on Ray’s face and he put his arm around Nora’s shoulders. “Luckily for you, I didn’t organize this surprise.” 

“You didn’t?” Nora exclaimed, nearly tripping over her own feet. “If you didn’t, then who did?”

Ray caught his wife before she could fall and gently guided her around the corner. “Still not telling you, that would ruin everything.” 

Nora let out a groan, but the rest of the time, the duo walked in silence. A comfortable silence. The silence between the people who could trust each other, because Ray did gain Nora’s trust. It wasn’t an easy road, but he did it. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Surprise!” Multiple voices yelled. Nora took her blindfold off and saw all of her and Ray’s common friends. Sara, Ava, Zari, Mick, Gary, Nate, Mona, Charlie, and Behrad. They were all there. 

Mona came up to her and hugged her friend. “Happy belated seventeenth birthday, Nora!”

“Thanks, Mona.” Nora grinned and hugged the rest of her friends, then Nora fell onto the table full of food. “Wait, that’s all for us?” 

“Absolutely,” Sara answered, “we let Gideon get to work to make sure we could all get to eat more than enough.” 

“It honestly looks amazing,” Ray put his hand on Nora’s back and kissed her crown. Nora shortly hugged his side and then sat down next to Ava on the table.

As Nora was in deep conversation with Ava and Nate, Ray observed the trio. He was so deep into observation, that he didn’t notice the ship’s captain walking toward him. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“Yes, so much. I’m so glad I married her.”

Sara looked at her old crewmate in awe, “and we’re glad you married her. You two are good for each other.” 

And that they were.


	4. One tree, two tree’s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who forgot to update MULTIPLE days in a row? 
> 
> It's me...

“I want that tree,” Nora pointed at a large tree standing in the middle of the center.

“You know that that tree will never fit into our apartment,” Ray sighed, feeling uneasy in having to say no to his wife. 

“I know, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want it,” Nora begged as she cradled her little baby bump.

Ray threw his hands in the air, “you know I can’t resist when you throw our little baby in the mix.” 

Nora sent him a well-knowing smile. “I guess that means that we have to make even more haste by looking for our new home.”

Ray just shook his head and walked up to the smaller tree standing on the side. “How about we get this smaller tree for now and when we find our new home which fits that gigantic tree, we will buy another one?”

“Fine,” Nora shrugs, “but I don’t want the tree you just said. That one is ugly; I want the one behind yours.” 

“If that’s the one you wish, then that’s the one we’ll get.” Ray walked towards the dealer standing on the side, Nora following him close behind.

“Ray, are you absolutely sure we can’t fit that beautiful tree inside our apartment?”


	5. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

“You that the tree looks really sad standing there undecorated,” Nora said, lounging on the couch. The tree stood in the corner of their apartment, they had only put the tree up and that was it. 

Nora put her head in the backrest of the couch and stared upside down at Ray cooking dinner in the kitchen. 

“Well, if you want to start decorating, we could gather the boxes with Christmas decorations from the attic,” Ray calmly said, still mixing in the pots and stir-frying the vegetables, but sending her a loving look. 

“Can we do that after dinner? I really want to get some coziness into our apartment,” Nora stated as she stood up and walked to the kitchen, “it’s so cold and dark out.”

Ray reached his arm out and took Nora’s hand, to pull her closer. Kissing the top of her head, he told her a soft, “yes, I’ll grab the boxes after dinner,” as Nora tried the get even closer to him than they already were.

That evening, the Christmas tree was decorated to Nora’s will (and even to Ray’s, as he adored everything Nora did). Not the entire home had been decorated yet – Nora fell asleep onto the couch just before Ray could put the peak on top of the Christmas tree and Ray decided to let his expecting wife sleep. Nora had been exhausted and Ray wanted to savor the moments she could sleep in peace, so that’s what he did.


	6. Frozen

“Mommy, can we go play in the garden?” Nora glanced outside after her daughters’ question. Their world has been changing towards the winter and it had nearly been freezing tonight. But honestly, she wouldn’t be able to contain her three- and four-year old’s inside, so they were going to go outside no matter what Nora’s verdict was.

“Alright, just in the garden and if you want to play somewhere else, you have to ask first.” 

The two tiny heads nodded happily. Before Nora could turn around, the two of them raced to the coat rack, put their coats and shoes on, and ran toward the back door. 

Just before they could open the door, Nora halted them, “aren’t you forgetting something?”

The two looked questioningly at Nora and Nora laughingly shook her head. “How about a scarf, some gloves, and a hat?”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Girls, lunch is ready!” Nora yelled towards the children playing on the other side of the garden. The two girls looked up at the sound of their mother’s voice and ran up to the door, where their mother stood. Nora let her girls get inside and directed them towards the kitchen as soon as they let their coat, scarf, and gloves to dry on the ground. 

“Girls, please, wash your hands before lunch.” A couple of seconds later, Nora heard the first complaining from the kitchen.

“Mom, the tap water is so warm,” Nora’s four-year-old yammered as soon as she turned the tap on, “it’s never this warm.” 

Nora grinned at her daughter’s statement, softly shaking her head with a smile plastered on her face, enjoying the simple mindset of her young child, “no honey, your hands are so cold from playing outside.”


	7. In sickness and in health

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: mentions of throwing up (only this chapter)

_In sickness and in health_ , that’s the vow you make to each other when you get wed. Or at least, most couples have that short sentence in their wedding vows. You can interpret it in multiple ways, as everyone does it differently, but does that really matter? Does the vow you make to your spouse, also extend to your children? Or just you and your spouse?

Nora’s head was spinning as she got out of bed for the umpteenth time, hearing her per-teenager run to the bathroom to dispose of the remaining of his stomach into the toilet. She took the small hairband from her nightstand and walked softly to the bathroom, trying to keep her husband and kids asleep. 

She knocked on the bathroom door and heard her pre-teen grumble a “come in”. She entered the bathroom and saw her eldest sitting in front of the toilet, the complexion of a ghost looking back at her. “I don’t feel so good, mom.”

“That I already got from the running to the toilet,” Nora softly joked; a small smile appeared on her son’s face. She sat down next to him on the stone-cold bathroom floor and lovingly stroked his back, hoping it would calm him down. “I’m sorry I ruined dad’s and yours’ anniversary.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” small tears formed in the corner of Nora’s eyes, “you didn’t ruin our anniversary. You got the flu, there’s nothing you could’ve done about that, and we still have a lot of time to make up for that.” 

Nora glanced at her phone for the time, five twenty-six it said. “Are you feeling better?” 

The boy slowly nodded, “thank you, mom. I love you.”

“I love you too, kid, but it’s time to get back to bed.”

The boy stood up and wandered off to his bedroom and Nora mirrored his actions, except she went to her own. Nora climbed back into bed, laid against her husband, and whispered a soft, “happy anniversary, my love.”


	8. It’s the most wonderful time of the year?

“Ray, have you seen the gifts we bought yesterday for the kids?” Nora asked her husband. It was late at night, but as stubbornly as Nora was, she still wanted to wrap the gifts she bought for her kids. It had been a stressful day, trying to make arrangements for Christmas and trying to make everyone happy and make sure everyone feels included is a nerve-wracking task as it is; add then a sick pre-teen, a whiney toddler, and a husband who’s at work. 

“I don’t know,” Ray answered from the other side of their living room, trying to build a hut, as their eldest and youngest had begged him to build. 

She keeps searching through the kitchen cabinets with a lot of noise. “I can’t find it anywhere, but I know it must be somewhere,” Nora outed frustrated, “they didn’t just disappear!”

Ray looked up and watched as Nora loudly kept rummaging through the cabinets. He stood up and slowly approached her. He halted next to her and sank around her. They just sat there; the silence only being broken by the sound of Nora’s soft cries. 

“It’s not just the untraceable presents, is it?” Ray broke the silence. 

Nora shook her head, “it not just the presents. Nothing is going the way I want to today; all the plans are not working out and then the kids. The kids did nothing out of the ordinary, but I’m so tired and it’s all so much. I just wanted to wrap these presents, because this feels like something I could control.” Nora rubbed her tears away, but her eyes were still glossy.

“I hear you. I understand that the load is heavy, too heavy for a single person to bear.”

“I just want to get in the Christmas spirit, and this is not really helping,” Nora sighed. 

“But that’s okay, you will get in the Christmas spirit. I will promise you that, and I will support you in all the ways that I can.”

Nora snuggled a little closer to his chest than she already was. “I love you; you’re amazing.”

“And I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're finally up to date, I hope I'll be able to keep uploading every day (that's the goal at least) and if not, you'll get another load of updates!


	9. Hot chocolate with whipped cream and caramel sauce

“You know what I’d really like to do to get into the Christmas spirit?” Ray and Nora’s eldest daughter said as she plopped on the couch. Her parents and younger sibling looked at her in anticipation. “I want to watch a Christmas movie, drink way too much hot chocolate and eat candy canes until I get nauseous.”

“You know that I hate Christmas movies,” her younger sister yammered. 

A big grin appeared on the eldest sibling, “and every year I bribe you with chocolate and candy canes and you end up loving the movie, so you’re going to watch it with me, whether you want to or not.” The younger sister – forever the dramatic – let herself fall face forward onto the gigantic couch and let out a big sigh. The eldest ignored the youngest’s dramatic act and shifted her attention to her parent, “if I fix the drinks and candy canes, do you want to pick a movie to watch?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nora and Ray happily nodded in agreement, it was dark out and almost freezing. It was not like they could do anything else. 

“How about I help you with the drinks and snacks and we leave these two responsible for the movie and an amazing blanket ford?” The eldest nodded with enthusiasm and she and her mother left for the kitchen to grab the necessities. 

“I’m not going to carry everyone’s blankets down here!” The younger sister complained loudly from the living room as they were on their way.

“I’ll carry the blankets, how about you just pick a movie?” Ray quickly proposed to keep the peace. 

A couple of minutes later the coffee table was out of the way and the ground in front of the TV was covered in pillows and blankets. The mugs with hot chocolate with a large dollop of whipped cream and some caramel sauce had been going around so that everyone had one. The youngest, who was in control of the remote, played press and the movie began. This was their little family tradition, and no one could tell them anything else about their little tradition.


	10. Mistletoe and wine

“Ray, are you absolutely sure that this dress is okay to show your colleagues?” Nora stood in front of the person-length mirror that hangs in the bedroom in their apartment. Ray looked up and scanned his wife’s floor-length black dress. The dress hugged her figure just in the right places; she looked absolutely stunning.

“That dress is more than okay, you look beautiful in that dress,” Ray complimented her. He spun her around, to let the dress flutter around her body. 

Nora smiled and came closer, fixing his bow tie, “Well, you also look very handsome in your suit.”

Ray pressed a soft kiss on her lips, “Are you ready to go?” 

\---

As the couple arrived at the extravagant party, Ray confidently introduced Nora to everyone. Ray’s work building had been turned into a Christmas themed décor. There were Christmas trees and string lights everywhere. Even the entrance had been decorated in the Christmas atmosphere.

Once Nora was introduced to every single person in the building (how could so many people work at one place?), the duo was stranded near the bar. The soft music speaker was playing a Christmas playlist in the background. From their position, they had a perfect view of the dancefloor, where some couples were swaying to the music. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Ray asked Nora, pointing at her empty glass. 

“Uh, yes,” Nora answered, “I’d like some wine.”

“One glass of wine coming up for milady.”

Nora grinned at his ridiculous behavior, even after being married for a short period of time, he still made her laugh and feel giggly inside. She felt like a lovesick teenager, which she technically speaking was, but that was another complicated story. 

\---

After a couple of glasses of wine, the couple found themselves on the dance floor. Ray’s supervisor had urged the couple to at least use the dancefloor once that evening. The music was loud, but danceable until the DJ moved to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, please grab a partner to dance to this beautiful song.” 

Ray and Nora sent each other a hopeful look and they grabbed each other’s hands, to softly start swaying to the music. “I’m glad I’m here with you,” Ray whispered into her ear.

“No one I’d rather be here with.” 

“Well, I have another surprise for you,” Ray said. Nora looked at him with a questioning look, not knowing what to expect. “Look up.” 

Nora looked up to the ceiling, to see a little mistletoe hang at the edge of the dancefloor, where Ray had secretly led them while they were dancing. “Well, it is tradition,” Nora suggested. 

Ray flashed a grin on his face and leaned in to kiss her, to which Nora happily obliged.


	11. Home for Christmas part two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a part two to a fanfic I uploaded last year called "Home for Christmas" where it's a college au where Ray and Nora meet during finals week and Ray invites her home for Christmas to Ivy Town.

Nora helps Ray load up the car New Years Day. Things had happened. Good things. Sandy has tried to basically adopt her. Got her a last minute but incredibly thoughtful present and took her shopping during the after Christmas sales.

She and Ray had grown closer. They only knew each other for a few days before making the trip to Ivy Town. She was falling for him. Hard.

She gives Sandy one last hug and gets in the car almost sad to leave. Ray joins a few minutes later and now she realizes, she’s stuck in the car with Ray for the drive. In silence.

While her heart beats for him louder than ever before.

“Ready to go?”

Nora nods. “Ready to finally stop pretending I’m your girlfriend? Bet you’re relieved.”

There’s a look that flashes across his features, almost disappointment. “I am a bad liar.”

“Then you’d better get started on the lie you tell her next year about why I’m not around.” She shrugs.

“She’ll be heartbroken.” He settles back into his seat and fastens his seatbelt.

“I’m sorry.” She looks quietly down at her lap as Ray backs out of the driveway.

That was the last words she said to ray for almost two hours.

She had an audiobook playing through headphones and looks out the window on the eight hour drive back to Star City.

Her little fantasy was gone now. She wondered if she’d even see Ray around campus after this.

Back to Jane Austen and hot cocoa then.

She dozes off after a little bit and rouses when the car comes to a full stop.

“What’s up?” She pulls her headphones out.

Ray unbuckles the his seatbelt. “Snack and bathroom break. If you need one too.”

Nora stretches her neck and nods. She could use some coffee more than anything.

She heads inside the gas station as Ray checks the tire pressure at a pump and picks out some snacks and heads to the coffee machine and gets a cappuccino.

She feels eyes on her and figures it’s Ray.

“Don’t judge me for the coffee okay it’s a long drive.”

“Not judging, just observing.” A gruff voice says from behind her.

She whips around just as she’s closed the lid on her coffee cup. “Sorry, was I in your way?”

“Not as much trouble as it normally is.”

Nora’s stomach churns. Sleep deprived trucker. She quickly moves out of his way and tries to disappear down and aisle of pet toys.

“You could use a collar on me.” She realizes he’s followed her and she rounds the aisle and bumps into another broad chest. Only it’s Ray.

“Hey, ready to go?”

“She yours?” He asks.

Ray makes a face. “She’s my girlfriend but also her own person. So buzz off.”

“Should’ve known.”

“Why don’t you fuck off?”

That was the first time she’s heard Ray curse.

The guy backs down and heads back towards the coffee.

“You didn’t need to do that.”

“Pretending you’re my girlfriend is just habit now I guess.”

Nora doesn’t say anything. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah umm got what you need?”

She nods. “Yeah.”

They check out and head back to the car. Nora is quieter than ever. It’s another 30 minutes and ray breaks the silence.

“I’m sorry. If calling you my girlfriend at that gas station made you uncomfortable. Just wanted that creep to leave you alone.”

“I can handle myself.”

“I know.”

“So maybe stop? You’re not my boyfriend and don’t owe me anything. I can find my own ride back to star city too.”

“I know—I’m sorry.” He apologizes again.

“Just… chill out on the Sir Raymond act.”

“Sorry.”

“And stop apologizing.”

“Sor—“ he stops talking.

Nora gets a text from Ava around 9 asking if she and Ray are going to come back and continue being boyfriend and girlfriend.

_Get real._   
_I am! You’re a catch! He’s a catch!_   
_I’m an orphan and an English major. I have absolutely nothing going for me._   
_Eleanor stop._   
_No Avaline I won’t._   
_Don’t you have a girlfriend to cuddle._   
_Zari is still asleep on me and I’m trying to distract myself from the fact that her brother brought home Gary Green._   
_We like Gary. He crochets us things._   
_It’s wigging zari out and I’m still adjusting._   
_You saw one or both of them naked didn’t you._   
_Who in their right mind skinny dips in a hot tub? I saw too much butt_   
_Rip to Ava Sharpe._   
_Rip to me indeed._   
_But seriously you need to get on that! Ray won’t stick around forever!_   
_I am fully anticipating never seeing him again after he drops me off at the apartment._   
_Nora!_   
_Ava!_

“SHIT!” The noise pulls her out of her phone.

“What?”

“Tire’s gone flat. I thought the pressure read fine when I checked it last.”

“Which was?”

“At the gas station.”

They pull over to the side of the road and put their caution lights on.

Nora stays in the car while Ray gets out to look and pops his head back in.

“There’s a nail.”

“Do you have a spare?”

“Yeah. It’s fine. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry. I got us.”

She bit back from saying there isn’t an us.

_We have a flat tire_   
_So find an inn stay for the night and give him your…_   
_No._   
_Nora let yourself be happy._   
_I did. For a week._   
_You need to for a lifetime_   
_No._   
_:(_

Nora doesn’t even realize she’s crying until Ray comes back into the car and asks if she’s okay.

“I’m fine will you stop worrying about me. Stop acting obligated. Stop. Just stop. Drop me off at the next gas station and forget about me I will find my own ride home.”

“What is this about? I’m sorry if I’ve done something to push your boundaries. I know that pretending to be together was not in the plan. But you knew regardless we’d be riding home together. What’s going on? I do wanna be your friend so if you need to talk I’m here.”

“No.”

“Okay. But I’m not dropping you off at a random gas station. That’s not safe.”

“Stop trying to be my friend.”

His mouth opens and then shuts again. He presses his lips together and nods. “Okay.”

He settles back into the drivers side and gets them back on the road.

She wants to apologize. She can see that really hurt him. It was uncalled for.

“I haven’t spent Christmas with anyone since I was 13.” She admits quietly. “That’s when my parents died. It was right after Christmas. It’ll be 9 years next week.”

“I’m sorry if that means—“

“No they were honestly horrible people. I’m not upset because I miss them. I’m upset because we made this elaborate rouse around someone who doesn’t deserve to have their heart broken. Your mom deserves a real daughter in law. One who isn’t so fucked up in the head and who didn’t pretend to date her son. And her son deserves a real girlfriend. Not some depressed stranger he invited on a whim to spend Christmas with him. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be around each other after this.”

“You don’t want us to be friends?”

“It’s not a good idea. You’ll just get hurt.” She's trying to find more and more reasons to end this after the drive is over

“Why?” His eyes are pleading.

Nora sucks in a deep breath. She can't take it anymore. “Because I have feelings for you. Are you happy? Feel free to drop me off wherever.”

“What? Why would I drop you off somewhere?”

“Because I’m an idiot who fell for you when I let myself enjoy this last week. And you don’t feel the same.”

“Who said that? I didn’t say that.”

“Not explicitly.” Nora hadn’t realized they've pulled over again until Ray is leaning across the console to kiss her.

“I’m explicitly telling you that I’m falling for you too.” He pulls back.

“You shouldn’t.” She leans in and kisses him again anyways.

“I want to.”

The hash things out a little more on the drive. Emotions are still a little raw but they’re holding hands and listening to soft music. When they get back to her apartment she invites him up.

“Welcome to my very not exciting apartment.” She says as she drops her bags in front of the bookshelf by the door.

“It’s very you.” He brings her bags in and smiles at all the bookish decor.

“I don’t have any food umm do you want to order pizza?”

“Sure.” He says and helps organize all the things she has to unpack. He hears her ordering a gluten free pizza and smiles, shuffling over to her and wrapping his arms around her from behind. “You remembered.”

“Gotta make sure I order something my boyfriend can eat.” She smiles and he leans down to kiss her neck. She presses herself back into him.

“Thank you.”

“Wanna help me unpack while we wait?”

“I’d love that.”

She turns in his arms and he pecks her lips. “So I may have accidentally left the ugly vase Sydney got me back at your mom’s.”

Ray laughs and kisses her again. “I won’t tell.”

“It’ll be our little secret.”

_Four months later_

Nora had been keeping a secret. Ray had just presented his capstone, she was so proud of him. She could wait to tell him after all the dust settles.

He comes back to what has quickly become their apartment. She greets him with a kiss and he’s babbling about how it went.

“And then, the best part? Professor Stein offered me a position over the summer at S.T.A.R. labs.”

Nora whips her head around. “That’s in central city right?”

“Yeah, so I know we’d be apart for the summer but I’ll come to visit you oh no why are you crying?”

“I don’t want us to be apart for the summer.” Nora sniffles and goes into his open arms, crying into his chest.

“You can come with me! I just figured you’d want your first summer out of college to do something fun and crazy.”

"No I can't... I want to spend it with you I want... I just can't do fun and crazy." She hiccups.

“Why?”

Nora bites her lip and tugs on his hands. “I have to tell you something.”

“Okay…” he lets her lead him to the couch and she puts her hands in her lap.

“So I wanted to wait until you presented your capstone but umm… the other night I found out something.”

“What is it you can tell me, are you sick?” He swallows. He can’t lose someone else this young.

Nora shakes her head. “Not exactly. I’m ummm pregnant.” She places a hand to her flat stomach.

There’s a few beats of silence and Nora has to fill them.

“And I know we’ve only been dating for like four months and wow we are so not prepared to be parents and you have this amazing opportunity and so do not feel bad if you want to dip. I will not be offended. You deserved to be told. I want to keep the baby but I understand if you—“ and then Ray kisses her soundly.

He pulls back and smiles, looking down at her stomach. “This is the best news ever.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We’ll get a little apartment in Central City over the summer it’ll be perfect. When are you due?”

“In the fall sometime I guess.” She rests her head on his chest. “Youre really okay with this?”

“Being a dad? Was the only thing higher on the occupation list than scientist.”

Nora laughs quietly tucked into his chest. “Okay.”

“And you wanna do this?”

Nora lifts her head. “Yeah. Let’s do this. Let’s be parents. I love you.” She pulls him in for a firm kiss. “I love you so much.”


End file.
